Shrapnel shorts protecting soldiers

They call them shrapnel shorts. It's underwear that will help prevent some of the most common injuries suffered during recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Made with kevlar, shrapnel shorts prevent dirt, metal and high velocity sand from piercing the skin in the inner thigh and groin.

Creators at Arlington-based company Secure Planet got the idea from football pads. The shorts are mean to replace current, diaper like equipment that's standard issue, and will protect provide constant protection, whether in the barracks or on the battelfield.

By mid to late fall, 75,000 pairs of shorts will be distributed to army soldiers. Though some soldiers admit talking about pelvic protection is an uncomfortable topic, they admit it’s a critical piece of equipment.

Army staff sergeant Ross Cox found out firsthand how important pelvic protection can be in the event of an improvised explosives blast.

"I got blown up. I stepped on an IED. And it just rocked my world,” Cox says.

Now he, his wife, and their four children live at the warrior and family support center in San Antonio, Tex. He lost a lower limb but says wearing pelvic protective gear saved much more.

“I've seen the guys in here, and it's just devastating what can happen in an IED blast,” he says.

It’s a horrifying injury the army hopes to eliminate with help from local inventors.